David Sterling Makes Attorney General Race Official

North Little Rock attorney David Sterling has already been making the Republican rounds appearing at numerous events as a candidate for Attorney General, but today he sent out a press release to make it official.

He raised a little over $50,000 in the first quarter – a nice start, but he needs a lot more cash for a likely statewide primary and general election campaign.

He put some cues in the release to make it clear he is running as a solid conservative candidate, specifically mentioning standing up for second amendment rights, defending the 12-week abortion ban, and defending Arkansas’ defense of marriage amendment. He mentions his membership in the Christian Legal Society, the Federalist Society, the Republican National Lawyers Association, and the NRA.

“My top priority as Attorney General will be to defend the Constitution and protect the liberty of all Arkansans from an overreaching federal government,” said Sterling in his release. “As Attorney General, I’ll stand up for state authority and individual liberty by working to rein in a federal government that has grown too powerful.”

Sterling’s early entry into the AG race is one of several young, unknown Republicans looking to run for constitutional offices, such Ken Yang who is running for State Auditor. It is a positive sign for the Republican Party who had trouble recruiting candidates for these constitutional officer races in 2010.

But in 2014, you can expect to not only see candidates for each position but likely contested primaries for almost every open office. RNC attorney Leslie Rutledge has indicated she is looking at the race. Several others include up-and-coming Republican lawyers, such as Rep. Matthew Shepherd and Faulkner County prosecuter Cody Hiland.